Hit Me With Your Best Prompt
by handful of sky
Summary: Reader-prompted drabble series.  All Castle/Beckett, and all exactly 100 words.
1. Midnight

I spent some time yesterday thinking about how much fun I had with my Castle Alphabet Drabble series. (Who am I kidding? It wasn't just fun, it was a _blast!) _ I've decided to begin another series of drabbles, but this time, I'd like to invite anyone reading this to submit a one to two-word prompt. There are a (very) few rules that I'd like you to keep in mind:

1) One to two words only, please.

2) Keep it clean. All drabbles will be rated T and below.

3) If you have a hard time narrowing down a few choices, feel free to list up to three, and I'll choose whichever one speaks to me loudest.

4) All drabbles will be Castle/Beckett unless otherwise specified. I sometimes have a hard time writing the other characters though, so I reserve the right to decline a character or pairing that doesn't work for me. Spoilers through 3x24.

Leave a review containing your prompt, and I'll write a 100-word drabble for the first 25 people to respond. All drabbles will be posted as separate chapters to this story, and I hope to be able to finish them within a month or so.

*****All prompts are now taken. Thanks for playing along!*****

I'll get the ball rolling with the first entry.

Obligatory Disclaimer: These are not my characters. This is not my universe. 'Nuff said.

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><p><strong>Midnight<strong>

It was once called the witching hour. Tonight it feels more magical than menacing, and he's glad when sleep eludes him. His life's been full of pivotal events: falling in (and out of) love, Alexis's birth, Derrick Storm's death, six-figure advances, and the day _she_ crashed his release party. But this moment, this precious now, is worth savoring. It's been too long coming.

He lifts a lock of her hair from the pillow to his lips and wonders if his words were an anchor, holding her here, or maybe a beacon, guiding her back. Regardless, the doctors say she'll live.


	2. Snowflakes

Requested by SusanRS

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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><p><strong>Snowflakes<strong>

If he lets himself focus on just her eyes, the ice crystals surrounding them seem almost innocuous. He imagines they might look this way during the first snow of the year—her lids shut tightly and her face turned heavenward to catch a few flakes on her tongue as she welcomes the cooler weather and the arrival of scarf season.

But her eyes aren't shut against the snow, and her skin is tinged with gray, and she's been unresponsive for far too long. He holds her body tightly against his, makes sure she's breathing, and hopes for an early spring.


	3. Scrabble

Thanks for all the great prompts. I'm really looking forward to writing all of these!

Prompt by LorettaCancun. Scrabble words and individual letters aren't included in my word count.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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><p><strong>Scrabble<strong>

It's not that different from poker. There's an element of luck, one of skill, and a little psychology. She places all her tiles on the board.

LANTERN

Double word, fifty-point bonus for using all seven letters. She's back in the lead, but not for long. He adds an S to make LANTERNS and places his remaining tiles to create FOXIEST.

She turns to her newest batch of letters: ALELOTI. LATE? TEAL? TOLL?

Ah. Starting with the F he placed, she arranges all seven tiles to create a new word, and, with his powers of concentration completely shot, she wins easily. Well, maybe there's more than a _little_ psychology involved...


	4. Angry Birds

That's it, folks. All 25 prompts are taken. I'll get them written as quickly as I can.

Prompt by CaptainCastle

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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><p><strong>Angry Birds<strong>

"This joker here insists that he knows you."

Beckett looks up from her report to see Castle standing awkwardly between two of the biggest beat cops she's ever seen. These guys look like they just walked out of Jets training camp, and they look _pissed_.

"That all depends," she says. "What's he done?"

"Walked into the elevator yelling, 'Die, pigs!'" the taller of the two rumbles.

She holds her hand out to Castle and he puts his phone in her palm.

"Sorry," he mumbles as she deletes the game and waves the patrolmen away. "Guess I should show more app-athy."


	5. Butterflies

Prompt by onewritergirl

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Butterflies<strong>

She stands at the red door, trying desperately to fight down the insane fluttering deep inside her midsection. It's not that he always knows the right thing to say. (He doesn't.) It's not that he always knows the right thing to do. (He _really_ doesn't.) But when he gets it right, he's damn near perfect, and it makes the weight of Mike's letter even harder to bear. When they're already so good together, she can't help but wonder how good they could be _together._

In the end, it's not even a conscious decision. She opens the door and steps through.


	6. Watermelon

I'm further ahead on these than I thought I'd be at this point, so I'll double up and post two today.

Prompt by ss-sunset.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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><p><strong>Watermelon<strong>

"How can you not like it?" he argues. "It's the noblest of the fruits."

"It's the biggest—I'll give you that, Castle—but it's bland. It just doesn't have the same intensity as, oh, pretty much any other summer fruit."

He cocks an eyebrow in challenge. "Name one example."

She leans back in her chair and steeples her fingers. "Nothing can beat a peach at the peak of ripeness: soft, sweet, and so juicy, that, by the time you're finished, you're hopelessly sticky, but completely satisfied."

He swallows hard. "You did that on purpose."

"I rest my case," she smiles.


	7. Shadow

Prompt by MoonlightGardenias

Disclaimer: _So _not my characters.

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><p><strong>Shadow<strong>

"Almost there," he whispers. "Just a little more."

"It's been a long time for me. Too long." She shivers in the night air and pulls the blanket up around her shoulders.

"My first time was in Belize," he says wistfully. "Sugar-sand beach, warm tropical breezes, and the feeling that the moment was going to last forever."

"It never does, though does it?"

"No, but that doesn't make it any less magical."

"Thanks for bringing me up here, Castle." She takes his hand just as the lunar eclipse reaches totality. "You were right about seeing things more clearly in the Hamptons."


	8. Silence

Prompt by Syd15

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

Although I didn't write them this way intentionally, I'm posting _Silence _and the next drabble, _Father_, back to back because they're definitely related to one another.

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><p><strong>Silence<strong>

She asked him to sit still and be quiet and he's really trying, but after a couple of minutes the effort is beginning to take a toll. It feels something like Christmas and his birthday and Valentine's Day all rolled into one, and he can't wait to see what he got.

Finally, when he just can't stand it any longer, he asks, "Is this what they refer to as a pregnant pause?"

She turns her head and he halfway expects her to stare daggers at him, but she grins instead as the ultrasound technician finally announces, "It's definitely a boy."


	9. Father

Prompt by Tango Mike Charlie

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Father<strong>

Castle drops into the chair beside her desk. "I've got my short list." He hands her a blue post-it note.

Scott  
>Warren<br>Robert  
>Kurt<br>Alex  
>Logan<br>Sean  
>Peter<p>

She looks at him over the edge of the paper. "Is there some particular reason you feel compelled to name our son after one of the X-Men?"

He pumps a fist into the air and Ryan and Esposito stand up and reach for their wallets disconsolately.

"Should've known better than to bet against you," Esposito grumbles.

Castle leans into her and kisses her cheek lightly as he whispers, "That was unbelievably _hot_."


	10. Hurricane Irene

Prompt by boston.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Really.

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><p><strong>Hurricane Irene<strong>

She looks out the window at the rain lashing the empty street and takes another sip of her Merlot. She's got plenty of food, water, and candles, spare batteries for the flashlight, and two more bottles of wine.

Her shrink cancelled tomorrow's appointment, which is fine because the last thing she wants is to talk about Roy, or her breakup with Josh, or the shooter that's still out there somewhere. And she sure as hell isn't ready to mention Castle and the enormous bomb he dropped just as she was going under.

Some storms are easier to weather than others.


	11. Itchy Sand

Prompt by scarf123

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Itchy Sand<strong>

"You know, it would be a shame to come all the way to L.A. and not even get our feet wet." He looks longingly at the surf.

"Never let it be said that I'd come between a man and his desire to have pruny toes," she says drolly.

He kicks his shoes off eagerly. "What about you? Aren't you coming in?"

She knows he'll keep wheedling until she relents. Might as well make it look like her idea.

Days later, she's still finding tiny traces of beach in her laundry. Funny how something so enjoyable can also be so irritating.


	12. Redundant

Prompt by Novi T. Foxtrot

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Redundant<strong>

When she comes to in a private room, she knows that he's responsible because the NYPD's insurance doesn't cover those.

When she's awake, he's there with a smile, a cup of coffee (who would've guessed that qualified as a clear liquid?), and the Times crossword.

When she's allowed to eat again, the food is served with china and silver instead of melamine and plasticware.

When she sleeps, he leaves knock-knock jokes and toy dinosaurs on her bedside table.

When he asks if she remembers what he told her after she was shot, she realizes that he never stopped saying it.


	13. Pat Benatar

Prompt by MorgieSan

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC

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><p><strong>Pat Benatar<strong>

Kate makes her way down the aisle looking for the tell-tale blaze of bright red hair, but when she finally finds her seat, it's clear that her concert-going companion is _not_ Alexis.

"What are _you_ doing here?" they ask simultaneously.

"Alexis's friend cancelled last minute, so she asked me to come instead," he explains.

"That's exactly what she told me, Castle. Looks like she set us up."

"If you want to leave..." he offers, but his eyes beg her to stay.

When "We Belong" is dedicated to "all the reluctant lovers out there", he takes her hand. She doesn't mind.

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><p>If you aren't familiar with the song, you might give a thought to looking up the lyrics. They're pretty appropriate for these two.<p> 


	14. Predicament

Prompt by Nathan fan.

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

Today's special: Buy one, get one free! (While supplies last. Not valid in the states of Disarray, Undress, or Denial.)

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><p><strong>Predicament<strong>

There are just a handful of people that she's let get close to her, and two of them are in danger. She'll be the first one in the door, and she'll have only a fraction of a second to make a decision that could save a life or end one. Castle has Alexis and Martha to think about; Ryan has Jenny. Castle can keep his wits in a tough situation. Ryan has courage and training on his side. She kicks the door in, intent on saving both of them, but Castle's name is the first to fall from her lips.

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><p>Her heart was hammering and her throat was dry, but she could focus on the job as long as Castle and Ryan were in trouble. Now the danger is past, the adrenaline's gone, and the overwhelming sense of relief at finding them relatively unharmed has left her shaky and spent.<p>

He's in far worse shape. She brings him coffee and sits poolside with him. When he picks up her hand and folds it tightly inside his own, it doesn't feel particularly new or different; it's simply right. Whatever else they are to each other, they'll never again be just friends.


	15. Regrets

Prompt by GhostWriterLost

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Regrets<strong>

If she lives, he'll find the courage to tell her again, and, if he's very lucky, she'll believe him. Fixing her body is one thing; forcing her to face her fear of commitment is another.

Once upon a time, he considered her a mystery he'd never be able to solve. Now he's terrified that he might have missed his chance to try. Loving her and losing her would in no way be better than never having loved her at all. Yesterday was the worst day of his life; he can only hope that today is the day that changes everything.

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><p>Anyone find the Easter egg?<p> 


	16. Pranks

Prompt by tiff098765

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

I'm way behind on responding, but I really appreciate all of you that have taken the time to leave a review. There have been some difficult prompts, but I'm still having fun with them.

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><p><strong>Pranks<strong>

She started it. Replacing the cinnamon that he sprinkles on his cappuccino with paprika? Not cool, and it begged for a response.

Everyone knows that the Mallomars in the break room are hers, and people are smart enough to stay away from them. Most people, anyway. When she rounds the corner and sees him holding the box, she lunges automatically.

He holds it high over his head, just out of her reach, but then she starts _tickling._ They wrestle for it, laughing like maniacs, until the universe somehow tilts and they're suddenly breathless with something that isn't laughter at all.


	17. Mirror

Prompt by maukraui (This one was tougher than I thought it would be!) Many of you will notice that I borrowed a phrase from John Donne (Meditation XVII). If you're not familiar with it, find the passage and read it; it's fabulous.

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Mirror<strong>

Sometimes she feels like she's too many people—like she's stumbled into a funhouse and come face-to-face with an array of splintered reflections of herself.

There's Katie, who lost her parents and her innocence at the tender age of nineteen. There's the fresh-faced officer who earned her badge, fought to get her dad back, and got enough therapy to be able to deal with her new normal. There's Detective Beckett, who tried to make herself an island and failed because every murder diminished her. And there's Kate, who can't commit to Josh because, unlike Castle, he's never seen her naked.


	18. Broken Knuckles

Prompt by ? (If you came up with this, 'fess up. You know you want to!)

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Broken Knuckles<strong>

"What happened, Castle?"

"He ducked. I connected with the wall instead of his face."

"That's not what I meant."

"He asked if it was true that you were a better ride than everything at Coney Island put together."

"You swung at a cop over that? You knew this might happen when we started dating."

"So you aren't even a little turned on by my attempt to defend your honor?"

"Well, maybe. A little."

"Want to go to my place and prove it?"

"I'm taking you to the ER instead."

"If they splint it, will you help me shower?"

"My hero."


	19. Combustible Pudding

Prompt by ? If you own this one, claim it already!

Disclaimer: Castle is the property of ABC.

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><p><strong>Combustible Pudding<strong>

"I'm not eating that." She usually appreciates Castle's flights of fancy, but this is ridiculous.

He looks hurt. "What, you're not even going to give it a chance? Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Where's _your_ sense of smell?"

He takes a whiff and looks chagrined. "Maybe the tequila flambé was overkill."

"The flambé was fine. The pop rocks were overkill."

"They were fun, though, weren't they?" His little-kid grin is infectious.

"They were fun," she smiles back. "Thanks for fixing me dinner."

"Always." He touches her hand fleetingly and she sighs and grabs a spoon. How bad can it be?


	20. Wicked

Prompt by Sarah Jayne216

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><em>"We speak for the dead. That's the job. We are all they've got left once the wicked rob them of their voices." — Roy Montgomery<em>

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><p><strong>Wicked<strong>

The problem with keeping people at arm's length is that they can't catch you when you fall. It never mattered before (you were so practiced at landing on your feet), but today is different. The grass beneath your back and the bright afternoon sky high above only reinforce just how badly you misjudged things. You close your eyes, not sure if you're shielding yourself from the pitiless glare of the sun or from the agony etched into Castle's features. He was right, and you finally realize that you're not the only one to pay for your refusal to be silent.


	21. Miracle

Prompt by Signe

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Miracle<strong>

Her doctors are extremely pleased at the speed of her convalescence. As she continually beats the odds and shatters the goals they set for her, they rave about her strength and her stamina and tell her she'll be back to normal in no time at all.

When it's time to leave the hospital, Josh cautiously asks her to consider moving in with him, and, for a moment, she seriously considers it. But maybe the most amazing thing about her recovery is the realization that finding someone you can live with isn't the same as having someone you can't live without.


	22. Cake Disaster

Prompt by Jane Daisy

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Cake Disaster<strong>

The guests stand in a loose circle around the dropped tiers, and Castle fights down the urge to surround the scene with yellow tape. Maybe it's not a crime, but it's definitely a crying shame, because red velvet is his favorite.

He touches Kevin's shoulder. "Trust me. Don't let this spoil the occasion. You're still the luckiest man on the planet, right?"

Ryan nods and hurries to console Jenny as Kate looks at Castle curiously.

"Did you feel like that?" she asks. "Like you were the luckiest man on the planet?"

He looks at her meaningfully. "I still do."


	23. Shoelace

Prompt by fialka62

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Shoelace<strong>

"Is this some kind of bondage gone bad thing, or did you lose a bet?"

"Very funny." He struggles a bit more against the interrogation room chair that he's tied into. "It's research. I needed to know how much time Nikki would need to free herself, but Esposito made these knots so small and tight that they're impossible."

"Oh, I don't know about that." She manages to free him within a minute.

"Wow," he says, rubbing his wrists, "you've got amazing manual dexterity."

She shakes her head and smiles. He really has no idea. _Someday,_ she promises herself. _Someday soon._


	24. Watch

Prompt by Jill-in-the-box. I couldn't decide on just one meaning.

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

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><p><strong>Watch<strong>

He looks at her differently now. Maybe it's the knowledge that she's single, if unavailable. Maybe he's still trying to protect her in spite of the assurance that she's safe for the time being. But he finds himself noticing just how much other people notice her. There are always some eyes that glide over her badge to rest on her breasts, or ones that focus on her lips instead of her words. She sheds their gazes like a slicker in the rain, and he realizes that it doesn't matter how much they look. He's the only one who sees her.

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><p>She sits in the old rocker on the front porch and angles her wrist back and forth until the sun's glare obscures the dial. She doesn't want to think about how many weeks have passed since she came to the cabin, or since she said goodbye to Josh, or since she promised Castle she'd call him. It's been too much time for her to be able to remember the exact timbre of his voice when he told her that he loved her, and not enough to forget the look on his face when she pretended that she never heard him.<p> 


	25. Extenuating Circumstances

Prompt by ignacio2012.

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC.

The final prompt for this series, Lovers, refused to be pared down to 100 words, so this will be the final chapter. Look for "Lovers" as a separate story.

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><p><em>Absence is to love as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great. — Roger de Bussy-Rabutin<em>

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><p><strong>Extenuating Circumstances<strong>

By the time Josh comes back from Africa, she's decided that she's not going to tell him about kissing Castle. What would be the point? It was something that had to be done, and it's not as though it fundamentally changed anything.

When Josh comes to her apartment later that night, he pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly to him. She had halfway hoped for his touch to burn away her memories of Castle's, but the spark she felt on seeing him is short-lived. He bends his head down to hers, and his lips taste like ashes.


End file.
